Man dies at Spring Mountain’s race facility

A man who failed to negotiate a turn while driving at a popular motor sports track died after smashing into a tire barrier at the facility this month.

By Selwyn Harris Pahrump Valley Times sharris@pvtimes.com

November 26, 2014 - 8:01 am

A man who failed to negotiate a turn while driving at a popular motor sports track died after smashing into a tire barrier at the facility this month.

Todd Crutcher, Director of Marketing for Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club, said the experienced driver had graduated multiple times from the facility’s driving school.

He noted that the man “had three great laps before raising concern.”

“On the fourth lap, the driving instructor noticed that the vehicle was offline coming through the corner and tried to communicate with the student using two-way radios,” Crutcher noted in a Nov. 14 press release. “The student started to slow down, but then suddenly drove off track and traveled about 100 yards without pressing the brakes before hitting the tire barrier.”

David Petrie, general manager of the facility, said Spring Mountain offers its deepest condolences to the victim’s family.

“In all of my years here, this is the first fatality I have ever seen,” Petrie said.

When asked for additional information on the accident, Sheriff Tony DeMeo said though the victim’s family has since been notified, his office “usually doesn’t comment on deaths by natural causes.”

DeMeo, who is also county coroner, also said the victim’s death was not caused by the accident. He would not elaborate further.

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis said the initial dispatch was for a fire at the track, and not a motor vehicle accident.

“We were initially dispatched for a vehicle fire, but upon arrival we found an extinguished fire, but it was the result of an accident,” Lewis said.

Additionally, Lewis said the extent of the man’s injuries required emergency crews to summon Mercy Air to transport the driver to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas.

“We provided all life-saving measures we could, but unfortunately it was a non-survivable event,” he said. “The track crew did a good job preserving the scene and taking the initial steps in patient care.”

Petrie, meanwhile, said in the press release, that the facility is cooperating with local authorities in the exact cause of the accident.

“At this time, the incident appears to be a non-mechanical and non-driver related incident that occurred prior to the driver deviating off the track,” Petrie said.

As part of being a member at the facility, various driver training classes are offered for high-performance domestic vehicles including Corvettes, Camaros and what’s known as Radical SR3’s.

Back in September, the facility celebrated its 10th year of operating in the Pahrump Valley.

Throughout the disruption and chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been everyday citizens doing incredible work to help their communities through these difficult times, giving countless hours and endless energy in the mission to keep people safe, healthy and connected and Nevada Health Response is striving to ensure those actions do not go unnoticed.

Pahrump Valley Youth Activities was nearly forced to forego its 2020 Summer Camp due to the COVID-19 pandemic but through a partnership with the NyE Communities Coalition, the beloved annual event has been saved and will now take place virtually, helping keep both participants and staff safe and healthy.

On Tuesday, June 2, the Nye County Commission held its first meeting with in-person public attendance since early March, when the governor declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak and issued an emergency directive banning gatherings of more than 10 people.

Leslie Street in the Pahrump Valley has a fresh new coat of asphalt, with paving of the 1-mile stretch between Irene Street and Basin Avenue concluding as of June 1. There is, however, still some finishing work to be done before the project is complete, tasks that, just as the prep work conducted before the paving was laid, will be handled by Nye County Public Works crews.

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